Niagara University to offer B.A. in early childhood development and cognition

by jmaloni

Submitted

Fri, May 30th 2014 07:40 pm

Niagara
University's College of Education has received state approval to offer a
bachelor's degree program in early childhood development and cognition. The
B.A. program is intended to provide graduates with the skills necessary to
assume leadership positions when working with young children in child care
centers and human service agencies that provide or coordinate services for
young children in the community.

Applications
are now being accepted for the fall.

"There is
a growing need in our country to prepare a cutting-edge, sustainable workforce
that will provide high-quality of care for young children and coordinate and
integrate the complex array of services that are needed to enhance early
cognitive and psychological development," said Dr. Debra Colley, dean of NU's
College of Education. "This can be seen in the recent proliferation of both
federal- and state-funded legislation focused on the birth through age 5
population."

New York
state recently implemented QUALITYstarsNY, a project of the Early Childhood
Advisory Council that is funded in part through the State Education
Department's Federal Race to the Top grant, which seeks to enhance the quality
of child care environments. The state has also published guidelines on early
learning and prekindergarten standards. It is through partnerships with
business and community child care providers that the need for an educated,
knowledgeable and skilled workforce became apparent, as did the need to sustain
these child care professionals, provide career ladder programs of education,
and address issues of succession planning.

The U.S.
Department of Labor's website states employment of preschool and childcare
center directors is projected to grow 17 percent from 2012-22, faster than the
average for all occupations. Continued demand for preschool programs and child care
is expected to contribute to growth.

NU's
121-credit program will combine knowledge of
early learning and cognitive development; family, school and community
relationships; observation, documentation and assessment of young children;
resources and materials to enhance early cognitive, emotional and physical
development; leadership and professionalism; and managing early child care
programs, including basic knowledge in program planning and evaluation, and
human and financial resources.

The
program's curriculum was initially developed by a team of faculty in the
department of early childhood and childhood education who have expertise in the
field. College administrators also consulted with child care centers
representatives who participate in the university's Niagara County Early Child
Care Quality Improvement Project, as well as professors from Niagara County
Community College.

NU's
College of Education holds National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher
Education accreditation in the U.S., Ministerial Consent through the Ministry
of Training, Colleges and Universities in the Province of Ontario, and
accreditation through the Ontario College of Teachers. NU has had a strong
presence in Ontario, Canada, for the past four decades, educating Canadian
students both on its New York campus and at various sites in the greater
Toronto region of Canada.